


Repaired Rivalries

by FuniFuni



Series: Ghira's Emotional Adventures [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Can Be Read as GhiraLink, Drama, Flower Crowns, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Groose Sucks and You Can't Change My Mind, Light Angst, Remlits, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuniFuni/pseuds/FuniFuni
Summary: After the events of that night in Faron Woods, Link and Ghirahim now have to worry about Zelda's reaction towards the appearance of the demon lord.
Relationships: Ghirahim & Link (Legend of Zelda), Ghirahim & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Ghira's Emotional Adventures [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965196
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Repaired Rivalries

It was nearing noon of the day after the incident in Faron Woods and Ghirahim had been left to his own devices. When he and Link had woken up earlier in the day, Link had immediately fetched breakfast for them both while Ghirahim lounged around, too comfortable in the soft warmth of Link's bed to move. He had tried and failed to get the blonde back in bed with him, but after a warning from Link to behave while he was gone (along with directions to the washroom), Link had gone off to return the bracelet Ghirahim had summoned the night before to the lady it belonged to.

With lack of anything else to do, Ghirahim had decided to make use of the washroom directions given to him and clean up his appearance. The feel of grime on his skin had been getting on his nerves and he had been certain his makeup was a mess. So teleporting into the room, he had taken a long, hot bath before reapplying his makeup and magically cleaning his outfit, returning his beloved mantle to his possession. It had gotten torn right before he had encountered Link, and he'd had no time to repair it until now. Time in the demon's dimensional pocket had done it well, however, and the red article was now looking good as new.

Reappearing in Link's room with a snap of his fingers, Ghirahim had plucked a book from the hero's bookshelf and settled back on the bed, nestled in his mantle, waiting for the boy to return. The book was rather interesting, covering the history of Skyloft and the less-than-accurate depictions of what lay beneath the now non-existent cloud barrier below.

Ghirahim was about a third of the way through the book when the door to the room eased open and Link stepped in. He was dressed in his casual clothes and the demon lord—being that this was the first time he had seen Link in normal clothing—was glad that they weren't green like his knight's uniform. His hair being ruffled by the wind from his journey to and from the Surface. On any normal occasion, Ghirahim would feel the need to smooth it down, but he was in a good mood today and found it endearing instead.

"Welcome back, Skychild," he greeted, setting his book down beside him on the bed and sitting up.

Link returned the demon's greetings as he shut the door behind himself, but made no move to settle down on the bed or a chair.

"Sorry I'm a little late," he said. "I had to run an errand for Instructor Horwell."

Ghirahim made a shooing gesture with his hand. "It's quite fine. Just take me somewhere before I die of boredom."

"Sir, yessir!" The blonde gave a mock salute, holding a straight face for all but a few seconds before chuckling at the completely unimpressed look he received.

"I do not care for your theatrics, Link," Ghirahim said.

"Well, now that's surprising."

"Shut up. Let's just leave already. I'm sick of being cooped up here like some farm animal." Ghirahim stood, crossing his arms and tapping his foot in impatience.

"It's good that I have a place planned out already, then." Link smiled. "Come on."

The blonde guided the sword spirit through unsurprisingly empty hallways; the other students were most likely either in their rooms or outside getting some Loftwing-flying practice done.

When they stepped out of the Knight Academy, Ghirahim tilted his face to the sky, feeling the cool breeze caress his skin before turning back towards Link as they walked to the gate, asking, "So where are we going?"

"There's this pretty island inside the Thunderhead I wanna show you," Link replied. "I think you'll like it."

"If you say so. But if I don't you'll have to make up for it."

They had barely gotten down the stairs to the Academy before a bulky figure wearing an appalling red pompadour placed itself right in their path. Groose.

"What're _you_ doing here?" Hostility oozed from the redhead with a glare directed right at the demon lord. The taller glared back.

"He's with me, Groose," Link said, stepping forward a bit in case he had to get between the two.

Groose scoffed, throwing a disgusted look at the sword spirit. "He's with you? I find that hard to believe. He's a monster, Link! I bet you're just under some sort of hypnotism spell he cast on you so that he can sneak onto Skyloft and kill everybody in their sleep!"

Ghirahim bristled. "That's absurd," he spat. He couldn't even do that..! And if he truly wanted to kill everyone on this pathetic floating island, he could've done it already.

"Really?" Groose jabbed a finger at the demon's chest, taking a few steps forward. Ghirahim growled low in his throat, nails digging into his crossed arms. He couldn't attack this boy no matter how much he wanted to unless he wanted to incur Link's anger.

"Hey..." the blonde tried to intervene, beginning to step between them, but Groose shoved him to the side before continuing, attention dead-set on Ghirahim, "Last I remember, you tried to kill Link to get to Zelda so that you could kill her and _reincarnate the literal embodiment of evil that was going to KILL US ALL._ I think it's a rather fair assumption that you would be out for revenge. After all, monsters never change, and just 'cause you can speak, it doesn't make you any less of one."

Link flinched at the unbridled hatred in his peer's words. He was surprised that Ghirahim hadn't jumped him yet, seeing how angry he was. But as expected, the demon could not help rebutting, venom present in every word. His arms flung down to his sides, hands clenching into fists.

"Yes, I did try to kill them both, but I really should've focused on you." His hands came up, fingers tight and curled and posed around Groose's throat as if he wanted to strangle the redhead. The demon radiated an ominous aura that made goosebumps rise along the skin of the two Skyloftian's arms. "Insolent brat, you know nothing about why I'm here. I have the means to kill you and all your little friends, and yet I don't. Be thankful that I'm not the monster you think of me as, _or you'd already be dead._ A rotting corpse left on the walkways of your home for everyone to see once I was done with you."

The arrogance Groose had portrayed in the beginning of their argument had all but left, leaving him with a terrified look on his face and trembling limbs. He stood like he was being frozen to the spot by an unnatural force, only able to stare wide-eyed at Ghirahim for a few, tense moments until he came back to himself. He stepped backwards from the demon, tripping over his own feet, and trying to muster up a believable threatening face.

"I'm g-going to tell Zelda about this..! A-and she won't be happy! So I'd get your sorry ass off of Skyloft and b-back wherever you came from before she does it for you!" The redhead scrambled backwards, making a break towards the safety of the more populated areas. Before he had gotten far, however, he had picked up a fist sized rock, chucking it at Ghirahim in a pathetic attempt to get a hit in. The demon caught it easily with his right hand. Groose was straight up running at this point, only a speck of color in the distance, and shouted back at Link, voice barely carrying through the space between them, "You better kick that thing out soon, Link, or who knows what he'll do!"

Link frowned in the direction Groose went as Ghirahim forcefully threw the rock off the side of Skyloft, dark eyes burning with anger.

"I'm sorry about him," the hero said, turning towards the sword spirit. "I'm sure he means well. He's just...really bad at helping..."

"Yes, whatever. Let's hurry and go to that pretty island of yours before I lose my composure more than I already have."

The two stood in silence as Link called down his Loftwing, and the uncomfortable atmosphere persisted even as they climbed aboard the large bird and took to the skies. Ghirahim's arms that had felt warm and relaxed around the blonde's waist just a mere handful of hours prior now felt tense and vice-like, as if they were a cobra, wrapping around its prey. But despite the harshness of his hold, the demon's face was pressed into the hero's shoulder, body flush against the one in front of him, as if he was trying to become Link, trying to hide from the world. The tails of his mantle snapping and twisting in the wind.

Link's own hands tightened around the reins of his Loftwing. Ghirahim was obviously feeling upset about their encounter with Groose and so was Link, to be honest. Groose should've asked him what was going on before he started making such wild assumptions. But that was Groose, that's how he went about things, and the hero couldn't change that. Link wished he could help out, though, wished he could take away the stiffness of the sword spirit's body, make him smile one of those rare, genuine smiles. He knew he couldn't do much right now, however. Knew that he couldn't make this perfect right away. They all needed to work through things. And for Link and Ghirahim, that started with going to this Rainbow Island and calming down. After that...Link owed Zelda a visit.

Slipping through the hole opened by the Light Tower in the Thunderhead, Ghirahim finally shifted his head to gaze at their new surroundings.

"Oh, wow..." he whispered, wind snatching the words away before they made it to Link's ears.

The closed off haven of clouds was tinted a light pink from the way the sun hit it, and the way the creatures that lived inside it flew through made the Thunderhead look like more of a sea of golden-pink fluff than what it truly was. Levias flew beneath them, emitting a low sound as if in greeting.

Within a few more moments, in which Ghirahim could feel his grip on Link's waist relaxing as he took in the Isle of the Goddess in the distance, the two finally arrived at their destination: Rainbow Island. Ghirahim was mildly surprised when Link's Loftwing had not flown away when they had gotten off of it, instead hunkering down in the flowers with a pleased cooing noise.

Link plopped down next to his bird and the flowers it was in, careful not to crush any, before patting the grass at his side.

Settling on the offered ground with far more grace than the blonde, Ghirahim looked up, white lips parting in awe at the sight of the vibrant rainbow hovering over them. He had only ever glimpsed such a phenomenon in his time on the Surface once, yet he had been preoccupied with reviving his master, so he saw the rainbow only when it had already started to fade. He had spared it no thought then, but now, actually getting to see one so close...it was quite a stunning sight.

"I take it you like it?" Link asked, a smug quality to his words and a matching smirk on his face.

"Yes, Skychild, I do." The demon lord turned to the blonde. "I suppose you have weaseled out of your punishment this time."

"I'm glad about that. What you'd have in mind would most likely drain my wallet and I just got over being broke." Link rubbed his neck sheepishly. Bulk buying arrows and potions was not a smart idea; he still had loads of them stashed away in various locations around his room.

Conversation trailed off and the only sounds to be heard were the wind created by the large flaps of Levias' tail and the soft snores of the dozing Loftwing Link was now leaning against, looking up at the sky with a peaceful expression on his face.

Ghirahim plucked a purple flower, separating it from its identical siblings, and stroked a soft petal with an equally soft touch as the silence allowed him to get lost in thought.

His worries from the night before had come true. It was looking more and more like the demon would be rather forcefully removed from Skyloft by the hero's friends in the upcoming days. He wasn't welcome. Groose had already shown him that, and Zelda, once she knew, was sure to follow. She would most likely spread word around about Ghirahim being upon the island, so the other Skyloftians would turn against him as well. Normally, the snowy-haired demon wouldn't concern himself with such matters of who liked him and who didn't, but...Link saw something in him that made the blonde want the sword spirit to stay. He was perhaps the only person alive who could stand looking at him for any period of time, and he wanted to be his master, to forge a bond set in stone until one of them died or could not do their job any longer...it was simply too good to be true. Demise was the last person who had done the same, but for entirely different reasons. And before that...nothing.

He felt as if he owed something to Link. The boy had taken him in, cleaned him up, patched his wounds, offered his bed to him instead of the floor even though Ghirahim had done such terrible things to him. The spirit couldn't say that he regretted those terrible things, because that would be a lie and he's not one for lies, but he didn't want to disappoint the Skychild. Link had seemed to have such high hopes for him, that to turn around and throw that in his face would be cruel. He wanted to be better. To prove that he was not as lowly as they thought him as. That he still had _morals,_ still had _decency._

And yet that seemed to be swept away from him within his first day of being on Skyloft. He would find himself back on the Surface soon, no Link in sight, no master to take him under their wing. Left to die a pitiful death in ditch somewhere. How pathetic.

Ghirahim was brought back to reality by Link's worried voice. Glancing down, the demon saw that he had broken the flower's stem, it bending so dramatically it seemed as if his poisonous thoughts had leaked into it. Looking back up he saw that Link was looking at him expectantly. He must've zoned out again.

"Pardon me, Skychild, what did you say?"

"I asked if you were alright? You looked upset there," Link replied.

Ghirahim sighed, crossing his legs and placing his chin in his palm, elbow balancing on his thigh. He tapped his cheek thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

"I suppose that's just because I was right. I don't want to be right, surprising, I know. But I am."

Link turned so that his whole body was facing the demon lord, giving him all his attention. "What were you right about?"

"Your little friends don't want me here, Link. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up tomorrow with a sword trained at my neck."

"They wouldn't do that!" The blonde exclaimed.

His bird gave a surprised squawk behind him at the loud noise as Ghirahim placed his hands into his lap. The flower laid forgotten at his side.

"Your little friend back there seemed very willing to slay me where I stood."

"That's just because he doesn't know..! He doesn't know that you've changed, that you're different now."

"But I haven't," Ghirahim stated. "I want to, but I haven't."

Link inched closer, laying a calloused hand atop one of the demon's. His face was filled with determination, utterly confident in his next words.

"You _have_ changed. Looking back to when we first met, you only thought I was a toy to pass the time with. You were always searching for ways that you could make me suffer. Now I don't see any of that in you. I've seen you at your most vulnerable, I've seen you holding back from doing things you would do without any thought a year ago. Wanting to change can be as powerful as the actual change, so don't sell yourself short." Link took a moment to catch his breath as Ghirahim sat in stunned silence. He hadn't expected the blonde to say any of what he did. But now that the words were out in the open, he found himself touched by them. Such kindness was rare.

A soft smile graced the demon's features. "I never knew you were capable of saying such pretty things," he said.

Link blushed, stuttering a little as he replied, "O-oh, well, I've had to hear Zelda giving me talks like that for awhile, so I must've absorbed a few..."

Ghirahim chuckled. "Nevertheless...thank you, Skychild."

Link returned his smile before clapping with finality. "Enough of that now..! Lemme show you something!"

With nimble fingers, the blonde plucked bundles of the vibrant flowers around them, expertly weaving them together. Ghirahim watched, enraptured, as the plants soon turned into a circlet with practiced ease.

Without a word, Link got to his knees and placed the finished product on the sword spirit's head, the colors contrasting sharply with the stark white of his hair. Ghirahim gingerly touched the flower crown, asking, "Where did you learn such a skill?"

"Zelda taught me," Link said. "I wanted to be able to do something for the kids, so I asked her to teach me. She's way better than me."

_They must be great friends..._ Ghirahim felt himself wandering into his thoughts once more, thinking about how the Spirit Maiden could very easily persuade Link into turning against him, but he shook the thoughts off. He would try to have fun with the Skychild for as long as he could.

"Can you teach me?" he asked.

A wide grin broke out across Link's face. "Sure!"

Slower, the blonde redid his actions with a new batch of flowers, telegraphing his actions from start to finish. This new one was smaller, and Link slipped it around his companion's wrist.

"Now you try!" He said.

Ghirahim didn't think that making a flower crown would be that hard, especially to someone of his caliber. But picking the flowers was the easiest part, the rest was quite the struggle. He kept applying too much force to the stems, breaking them before they were fully weaved. He kept moving the heads too much, causing the petals to fall. In the end, before he was even halfway done, the spirit's attempt had fallen apart, stems unable to keep together a second longer. Ghirahim pulled a face as he gazed at the flower corpses on the ground in front of him.

"That's all right," Link said. "Try again. It'll take a little practice."

The next twenty-something attempts were failures as well, much to Ghirahim's chagrin. They did gradually get better, though, each crown holding together for a little longer, petals not falling off as often. But he still had a ways to go before he'd be able to complete one. After one exceptionally difficult attempt, Ghirahim sat fuming, eyes narrowed in a glare directed at his hands. He pulled out each remaining petal on the flowers weaved together as he ranted to Link.

"Why does it have to be so hard?! _How_ is it so hard?! It's just wrapping plants together..! This should be no problem for me!" His head snapped up to stare at the hero. "How long did it take _you_ to learn this?"

"Honestly?" Link chuckled. "Two weeks."

Ghirahim's eyes widened. "Really?"

The blonde nodded. "A lot harder than it seems, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"We can always try again tomorrow if you want," Link suggested.

The offer was tempting, but even though he wanted to be done with the frustration, his stubbornness would not allow him to stop. He had to get _something_ accomplished. Ghirahim had never not been able to master any skill he put his mind to, and this flower weaving skill was no exception. He just _had_ to be able to do this.

A little part of him thought that a successful flower crown would be a good placeholder gift for Link until he thought of something better.

"No!" He burst. Clearing his throat, his volume returned to normal. "I'm sure it'll only take a few more tries anyway."

Link was doubtful, but didn't fight the demon. Instead he watched in relative silence as Ghirahim took on the next dozen attempts, occasionally offering small praise and tips. Despite the sword spirit thinking he was barely learning, Link knew that he was catching on abnormally quickly. When the blonde was this many hours into learning, his attempts still looked barren and knotted, falling apart at the gentlest touch, while Ghirahim's were now looking more and more like they should. Link wondered how many more tries it would take him before he finally completed one.

It took another hour or so before he had finally made a flower crown, and by then, they had already stayed so long upon Rainbow Island, the clouds of the Thunderhead were darkening with dusk. Link only gave it a passing thought before returning his attention to Ghirahim who let out a victory cheer at his achievement.

"Ha! I did it!"

It didn't look the best, but it was holding together and the flowers still had petals, so it was good enough for the demon.

"Good job, Ghira!" Link smiled, his face reddening a small amount when the nickname slipped past. Ghirahim didn't seem to notice, and if he did notice, he didn't care, instead shuffling forward on his knees in the same manner Link had done hours before. Link gazed up at him confused, and the sword spirit offered explanation in the placing of the newly completed flower crown upon his head.

"Consider it a gift for all you've done," Ghirahim said, getting up and brushing off the back of his pants.

"Thank you..!" Link stood up as well, beaming from ear to ear. Ghirahim had changed. And Link welcomed it.

"Now, I believe it's time that we get back before it gets too dark." The demon studied the clouds, noting the dark hues.

Link agreed. Pointing to the crown on his head he said, "Can you put this in my room? I don't want it to get ruined on the way there."

"Of course, Skychild."

With a snap of his fingers, the flower jewelry from both of their bodies were gone. Link took that as his cue to pull out the special night headgear for his Loftwing that he had strapped onto the harness. He had finally gotten permission to fly at night by Gaepora, even though he still had a few more months until his graduation. An early graduation present, the headmaster told him. Link knew that it was probably so he would get in the least amount of trouble possible.

"What is that?" Ghirahim asked as the blonde attached the headgear to his bird.

"Loftwings can't see at night so we have this device-thing that helps them. There's this light," Link tapped the glass sphere jutting out of the Loftwing's forehead from the helmet. "which illuminates the path and the goggles help focus their sight."

"Fascinating..."

Link soon finished strapping the headgear on his bird and the two got on their way back to Skyloft, positions the same as the last time they rode on the Loftwing. Unlike last time, their moods were considerably lighter.

The sky at night was still as beautiful as ever, but the trip sped by. The sword spirit couldn't keep his eyes open. With all stress completely oozed out of his body, his mind needed a rest. Every blink felt like mere seconds, but every time Ghirahim opened his eyes again, they'd be much closer to Skyloft then they were before, until after a particularly long lasting doze-off, the two were back on Skyloft.

The Loftwing's landing jolted Ghirahim awake, and he had enough energy to slide off the red bird, taking ahold of Link's shoulder before teleporting them back into Link's room without warning; he was far too tired to walk.

The spirit fell limply on the blonde's mattress, mantle disappearing, while Link stumbled for a few seconds, unused to disappearing and reappearing somewhere entirely new. His head swirled like a sandstorm, slowly calming. Eventually he managed to choke out, "Want dinner?"

Ghirahim mumbled something incoherent and shook his head, eyes already closed.

Link took that as a no and pulled the blankets that were clumped together at the foot of the bed over the demon's prone form. Soft noises escaped from parted white lips.

Sneaking out of the room, Link made his way down the hall towards Zelda's room. He knew she would most likely be still awake, reading about anything she could get her hands on. Sometimes he would read and discuss some books with her, but that was not the meaning for his visit today.

He knocked on her door, scuffing the small rug in front of it with the toe of his boot.

Zelda answered rather quickly, not giving Link the time to fidget properly before she was herding him inside.

"What brings you here so late, Link?" she asked, sitting on her bed.

Link sat next to her.

"I was wondering if you've heard from Groose lately," he said.

Zelda pursed her lips, the mood around them getting significantly more grim.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Have you really brought _him_ here?"

So she had heard from Groose...that threw a wrench in things, but the hero could at least try to explain things. Groose didn't know the half of it in the first place.

"Zelda, let me—"

"No," she interrupted. "I will not allow him here. No matter how nice he's being to you right now, it's just a matter of time before he snaps. Better to get him out now before that happens."

"But—"

"Shush, I will hear no more of it," she said. "I'm sorry, Link, but I don't trust him. It's for your own good." Zelda brought him to a standing position with a tug to his arm and guided him to the door. "I want him out before the end of the week. But please...be careful. I don't want to lose you."

Link sighed, downcast, as he gave a sluggish nod, opening the door. They said their good-nights and before long, Link was back in his room. He gazed sadly at Ghirahim, passed out cold on his bed.

He truly believed that the demon could be better. Demise...Demise was bad for him. He mistreated him, skewed his morals, trained him into loyalty and submission. And now that he was free from the demon king's fiery clutches he could finally get better. If Ghirahim chose, Link would be his new master. Link would treat him like a person, not an object, let him wander and do what he wanted, not manipulated into doing things he didn't. Already within the first few days of Ghirahim being with him, Link had seen him do acts of kindness, show his vulnerability...even during the fight with Groose, he held himself back from lashing out with violence. There was still the temper, the slight glint of unpleasant promises in his eyes, messed up moral code, sure, but Link was positive that with time, if everyone else just gave him it, Ghirahim could improve, leave his old ways behind for good.

Link shed his boots, not bothering to change into nightwear and mind still abuzz with newly hatched plans to convince Zelda to let his demon companion stay on Skyloft. Sliding into bed, he watched Ghirahim's peaceful expression as he dreamed on, before falling into sleep himself.

—

The next morning arrived in a flash, and things went in rather the same order as they did the day before: wake up, Link got breakfast, Ghirahim staying in bed. The only different thing was that Link did not have to leave and Ghirahim was in a worse mood than the day prior.

He was far snippier than usual, judging and mocking any of the smallest things he didn't approve of. Link more or less left him alone, after learning the hard way of Ghirahim's mood. Long story short, it ended with threats to cut off Link's toes. _Note to self: do not try to make small talk with a cranky Ghira._

After almost an hour of Link sitting at his desk, making progress on his latest wood carving, he was sick of the silence. When Ghirahim spoke it was only telling him to be quiet. The demon had a book open, balanced on his chest, but Link had suspicions that he wasn't really reading; the page turns were few and far between.

"Can you _stop_ with that infernal tapping?" Ghirahim barked.

Okay, that was it. The blonde stood up from his seat at his desk, abandoning his work, and headed towards the other. Why the hell was Ghirahim being so moody? Link was going to find out. Come on, he wasn't even making that much noise!

"Why are you being so snappy today?" Link asked.

The demon only sent him a side glare before turning back his book, not giving a reply.

"Look at me," Link said. When Ghirahim made no move to do so, he snatched the book from his hands, closing it and chucking it on the table at the foot of his bed. "Look at me," he repeated.

Ghirahim's eyes widened as the book was taken from him, but narrowed quickly before meeting Link's eyes as directed.

The hero sat on the edge of the bed, turning so that he was able to see the sword spirit before asking in a much gentler tone, "What's the matter?"

"None of your business," Ghirahim said.

"It is my business! I want you to be happy and whatever it is is obviously upsetting you. I want to fix it, so let me."

"And what if it is truly nothing? What then? You can't fix that."

"I can still try," Link said, a determined expression on his face. "You can't be upset forever, after all."

Ghirahim sighed, some of his anger leaving him at the boy's optimism. "I suppose that's true." His tone turned bitter as he decided to share. The boy was right. There was no use keeping information from him if it just made everybody miserable. "I was just thinking about my inevitable banishment from your home."

"Oh..." Link said dumbly.

"Yeah, 'oh.'"

An idea popped into Link's mind.

"Hey, can we go somewhere?" He asked.

"I don't really feel like taking a trip on that bird of yours, Skychild."

"Good thing it's on Skyloft then!"

Another sigh from the demon. "Fine, then." There was no use fighting with Link on this one. The blonde was much too stubborn.

Link ushered Ghirahim out of the room as soon as the words had been spoken, hopping down the hallways while trying to shove his boots on with one hand, the other hand wrapped securely around Ghirahim's wrist. Eventually the boots got on before they left the Academy, and Link took off running in the direction of the waterfall.

The hero darted through various shortcuts, dragging the demon behind him. Ghirahim could keep pace with Link, however, and took each sharp turn and jump off of higher ground with ease. By the time they got to the path leading to the waterfall cave, Link was panting, hunched over with hands on his knees. Ghirahim waited patiently for the boy to regain his composure, his own breathing being perfectly level.

Still slightly winded, Link swept out an arm to draw attention to the place he wanted to bring the sword. It was a patch of quaint pink flowers, lightly swaying in the breeze. Ghirahim couldn't help but notice the last two days had been very flowery. He had no complaints, though.

Other than the flowers, he couldn't see anything else worth notice.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" he asked.

"Look harder, you'll see," Link replied.

Paying closer attention to the patch of flowers, Ghirahim finally noticed the beige blobs dotting the area, hidden by the plants. An ear twitched from within the foliage and whatever it was gave a short, soft yawn before going still once more.

"Creatures?" Ghirahim was bewildered. He had never thought of the Skyloftians having anything other than them and their Loftwings on the island.

"They're called Remlits," Link said. "They're really sweet during the day but go absolutely crazy at night."

Ghirahim walked towards the flower patch and his eyes widened marginally as he watched four of these Remlits stand up from the plants, stretching out their backs before taking a few curious steps towards him. They plopped down on the grass by his feet, tilting their heads as one at the front let out a soft mew.

Link watched from behind his companion, wondering how Ghirahim would take to this new attention from the animals.

Ghirahim stood there, seemingly struck by awe at the Remlits in front of him. Had he ever seen such creatures in his life? He didn't think he had. The closest he could think of would be the Kikwi, but they could _talk._ These were just like...pets. They were alive for no other purpose than to just... _be_. It was strange. But as one of the Remlits rubbed up against his leg with purrs rumbling its tiny body, Ghirahim couldn't find it in him to care about any of that.

He sat on the grass, noticing Link do the same from his peripheral, but his attention was focused on the adorable creatures in front of him. As soon as he had touched the ground, the Remlits had immediately climbed on him, snuggling onto his lap and across his thighs. Hesitantly, Ghirahim placed his hand atop one of the animal's heads, stroking the soft fur there.

Link chuckled, petting a Remlit that Ghirahim hadn't seen stray from his body.

—

Zelda took a ride on her Loftwing to feel the breeze, thinking about the various things she had to complete. Help Professor Owlan with new lessons, make a trip to the Surface to approve the blueprints for her new house, make sure Groose wasn't causing too much trouble, and of course, keeping an eye on Link's new guest.

Despite the fact that Link seemed to trust Ghirahim, the information Zelda had received from Groose was not in the demon's favor. Death threats on top of claims that Ghirahim had tried to injure Groose did not bode well with her. From what she heard, the demon lord hadn't seemed to change since her and Link's time on the Surface. Still angry, still dangerous. Zelda didn't want Link to get hurt. Not just physically, either. She knew that Ghirahim could easily kill Link if he wanted to, and was rightfully concerned over that, but at least Link could take care of himself, and possibly get away with only a few minor injuries. But the heartbreak that came with such a betrayal...Link had never experienced such a betrayal. And he truly seemed to believe that Ghirahim was better now, that he was different. Zelda was worried that if Ghirahim took an attempt at Link's life the betrayal of it would harm Link more than the actual wounds. She didn't want that for him. Part of what made Link Link was that he wanted to believe the best in everyone, and if he got proven wrong...Zelda didn't want to think about what that would change in the blonde.

Luckily, her thoughts were derailed from that particular subject matter as she flew above the waterfall. Not so luckily, what she saw was directly tied into her worries; the distant forms of Link and Ghirahim sitting at the base of the pathway to the waterfall cave.

Zelda couldn't be sure, but it looked as though the two were having a conversation.

She saw Ghirahim—red mantle noticeably absent—take up an annoyed posture as Link leaned back and laughed and she was curious as to what they could be talking about. It might've been because of the fear and adrenaline of the moments, but the few times she had encountered Ghirahim, she couldn't ever think that anything he could do would be humorous. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to find out if he could be anytime soon. To approach now would be idiotic and it wasn't like she could listen from all the way up in the sky. So instead she decided on stealthily guiding her Loftwing back around the waterfall and having it drop her on one of the floating islands at the peak of the path. If Zelda couldn't listen, she would settle for watching them. To make sure Ghirahim didn't try anything with Link, she told herself.

She made herself comfortable on the grass and watched as a slightly closer Ghirahim flicked a slightly closer Link's forehead. He stroked something in his lap that Zelda couldn't see before Link flicked his arm in retaliation. She watched as a full-blown flicking war broke out, the thing in Ghirahim's lap—Zelda identified it as a Remlit—scurrying off to hide within the flowers they were seated in front of. She saw no malice in the act, however, noticing the grins across their faces lasting even after Link surrendered.

Noticing that the two had calmed down, the Remlits that got out of their way came back to lay upon their lower halves.

Zelda couldn't help but find the display rather adorable, even if one of the people in the scene was a murderous demon lord. She felt a smile cross her face as she watched them bicker some more, Ghirahim weaving together a flower crown out of the flowers in front of them, placing it gently upon Link's head. The smile was fleeting, however, and she found it replaced by a frown as her mind wandered back to her thoughts.

Why was Ghirahim being so... _pleasant?_ It seemed so out of character for him. And yet Link wasn't acting as if this was odd, instead acting like Ghirahim was like this all the time. Zelda found it hard to believe. But watching the happy scene in front of her, it all seemed so...genuine.

Far below, she saw Link say something to Ghirahim before the demon stretched out on the grass, head resting in Link's lap. The Remlit on his legs crawled up to lay on his stomach. Zelda became even more bewildered as Link started playing with Ghirahim's hair.

How was it that Link could be so relaxed around the man who tried to kill him mere months before? Zelda couldn't wrap her head around it! Were they meeting up in secret before Ghirahim came to Skyloft? Was Ghirahim blackmailing Link? How could the two be on such good terms after everything? Even Link, as optimistic as he was, had the common sense not to trust a villain.

Zelda's thoughts ventured into the opposite direction.

Maybe they reconciled? Maybe whatever influence Demise had on Ghirahim left when he died? Maybe they just enjoyed each other's company. Or maybe she was giving them both too much credit and the worst really was true. Zelda let out a frustrated huff. She had no way of knowing what was what at this point in time. But she could work to finding out the truth certainly. And that started with having a little chat with Ghirahim.

—

They arrived back to the Knight Academy, the sun making its way down the west side of the sky.

After taking Ghirahim to go see Link's little 'Field of Kittens', the aforementioned hero took the demon around Skyloft to see some of the interesting sites and people. There was no point in hiding Ghirahim from the public anymore if Zelda and Groose already knew.

Link and Ghirahim conversed as they ventured back to Link's room, this time over the existence of Remlits and just why were their ears so big? They came to no definitive answer by the time the door was shut to their little haven.

Ghirahim picked up his book that had gotten discarded hours prior on the small table and sat on the bed, back against the wall.

"You must get some more entertainment in here, Skychild," he said, flicking his book open to the page he'd left off on. "I'll be out of books quite soon at this rate." The half-full bookshelf would not last the demon much more than another week.

"I'll see what games I can get from Beedle or Gondo. Can't promise you much, though," Link replied.

Ghirahim nodded before raising his brow at Link. He had not made any move to sit down, only placing the newest—and best made—flower crown to join the others on his desk.

"Where are you going?" Ghirahim asked as Link moved to leave.

"I'm gonna talk with Zelda," Link said. "I won't be gone long and after we can go get dinner, okay?"

Ghirahim hummed in approval. "I'll be here." He turned back to his book, the door clicking its farewells to the room's owner.

—

Once again, Link found himself outside Zelda's room waiting for her to answer. But this time, he was determined not to be pushed out. He would convince Zelda that Ghirahim was changing and there was no stopping him.

When Zelda answered, her eyes widened. She still had her boots on and a few strands of hair escaped from the ribbons that held it together. She must've just gotten back.

"You went out for a ride?" Link asked, stepping in and retaking his seat from the night before.

"Oh, uh, yeah!" She mentally cursed herself. What if Link saw her watching him and Ghirahim? Was this why Link was visiting again so quick? She really didn't want to have that discussion...

Link gave a noncommittal nod before gesturing to the spot beside him on the bed.

"Can we talk? And actually talk this time."

"Yes, of course," Zelda replied. She took the seat offered and turned to face her friend. "What's this about?"

"Ghirahim." Before Zelda could open her mouth to speak, Link cut her off. "And let me talk first. After I'm done you can lecture me all you want, but for now...just listen."

She frowned at Link pretty much calling her a lecturer, but she couldn't be upset, for after a few moments of thought, she found it true. She did tend to lecture him, even if it was in his best interest. She shouldn't be coddling him; he was almost a graduated knight, an adult. And yet she couldn't stop worrying...

What she did the night before wasn't fair to Link, however. He was allowed to make his own decisions. And Zelda could only assume that he came to her because of one of those decisions. But she would never know what he was going to say, for she had turned him away almost as soon as he arrived. She felt a pang in her chest over her actions. Then and there, she decided that whatever Link was going to say this time around, she wouldn't try to control the outcome. But she was sure as hell going to keep him safe anyway. Zelda just had to figure out a different manner to do so than before.

"Okay," she murmured. "I'm listening."

"First, I gotta ask...what exactly did Groose tell you?"

Zelda tried her best to meld Groose's rants into an easy statement, but it took her a moment. He had come to her, flailing like a captured bird, sweat glistening on his forehead, and quaking in his boots. But there was rage in his eyes, and a mixture of that and fear must've been what had made his words get stuck in his throat. When he finally did get them out, they were too fast and garbled for her to make much sense out of most of what he said. She only latched onto the important parts, of which she told Link now.

"He said something along the lines of 'that demon Ghirahim showed up with Link and threatened to kill me and maim my beautiful face if I even breathed at him.'" Zelda left out the many colorful swears the redhead had used.

Link snorted. That was such a Groose thing to say. So far it was accurate, albeit a little exaggerated, which was strange. He was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Zelda continued, "He also said something like 'I bet he's using black magic to hypnotize Link' and 'he said he was going to kill my friends.'"

Ahh, there it was. The last bit wasn't even the least bit true. If anything, Ghirahim said that he _wouldn't_ kill anybody on Skyloft. The hypnotism comment still stung a little, though. His friends should be able to identify if he was acting weird enough to be considered hypnotized. Seems all that mattered to be considered as such was to talk to the wrong people.

"Okay, so that's all ridiculous," Link stated. Zelda raised a questioning eyebrow so Link explained it to her. "The first bit is more or less correct, Ghirahim _did_ threaten Groose but also said that he wouldn't kill him 'cause he's better than that, basically. Buuuuuuut..!" Link drew out the word as he saw Zelda's frown. "Groose was the one who started it all. I was just showing Ghira around the skies and Groose couldn't let it go as we passed him."

"And the other things he said?" Zelda asked.

"Completely false." He waved his wrist dismissively. "Do I look hypnotized to you?"

A small smile graced Zelda's lips. "No. Honestly, that was hard to believe, especially coming from Groose. I think if Ghirahim could do that, he would've already done it. Plus," she added, smile turning to a smirk, "you're still my endearing idiot." She flicked him on the nose.

"Hey..!" Link chuckled.

Zelda took this as a chance to ask about one of her theories about the hero and demon.

"So he's not blackmailing you or anything either, right?"

"No..!" Link burst. "If anything, I'd prob'ly be the one blackmailing him considering all the embarrassing things he's done that I got up here." He tapped his temple with a grin. "But I won't!"

Zelda had so many questions and she guess Link could see it on her face, for he gave another dismissive gesture before getting back on track.

"You'll find out eventually, I'm sure, but for now, I still got one more stupid claim to address. And that would be...no." He said simply. "Ghirahim did not say he was gonna kill anyone on Skyloft. In fact, he said that he wouldn't for the same reasons that he's not going to kill Groose."

"So Groose just flipped his words...I see."

"Yeah. Ghira got a little torn up about it." Link was fine giving out this information. It would do more good than bad at this point. What was a little bruised pride for the demon over Zelda being on their side?

"Really?" she asked. "Also, what's with the nickname?"

He gave a nod before answering, "I just think it fits is all. It's cute." His face went serious. "He got upset when I told him that you wanted him gone when we went out today, too. I got him to cheer up, though, so be thankful. Dealing with a broody Ghira is worse than dealing with Groose's complaining."

Zelda winced. That really must be bad. But despite having Link clear this all up for her, she still couldn't trust the demon. All she had witnessed of him had been when he was hunting her down and the outing he had with Link today. But that one good moment was just that. One good moment. The bad moments had stretched on for months and she couldn't understand how all that bad could be reversed in just a few moments. Link thought highly of Ghirahim, though, which threw her off. Link should've been the one out of them all that hated Ghirahim the most with all the other did to him..! But he didn't. And that definitely meant something.

"I still can't trust him," she said. But maybe she could, eventually. Just not now, not this soon.

Link sighed, but he expected this. It'd be weird if Zelda _did_ trust him. Link busted out the next part of his plan.

"I understand that and I didn't expect you to right away. But I _promise._ " He took her hands in his, giving them a firm squeeze. "In the few days he's been with me...he has changed. I have seen him at rock bottom and we've come to an understanding of sorts. If he was the same as he was all those months ago, one of us would be dead already. But instead I've been showing him things he's never seen before, we've been talking about everything and absolutely nothing, I've been helping him. I want him to stay here on Skyloft and he won't admit it, but he wants to stay, too. So please, please, _please_ give him a chance." Link took a deep breath when he was done, having put so much passion into his words that it left him breathless.

On the other side of things, Zelda was speechless. She had never heard Link speak like that before. Sure, he'd had determination in his voice, but she had never heard such a fire. This wasn't just some fleeting thing; he really, with all his heart, wanting Ghirahim to stay. She couldn't understand just yet, but now after Link's speech...she wanted to. However the demon changed, it made Link really happy and she wanted to know just what Ghirahim had done to do so. That's why when Link spoke his next words, she had already decided.

"So...will you come out with us tomorrow?" Rubbing Zelda's knuckles, he really hoped she wouldn't say no.

"Yes."

Link's eyes widened almost comically before he practically shouted, "Wait! Really?!"

She nodded. "I'll give him a chance. No more assumptions or the like. Time to see this 'change' with my own eyes."

A wide grin broke out on Link's face and he catapulted out of his seat, dragging Zelda up and to the center of her room, spinning her around a few times before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you," he murmured into her hair.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled into his shoulder.

They stood like that for a while before Link pulled back, a faint blush on his face and a hand scratching at his neck.

"I should get back to Ghirahim now. I promised him dinner and all..."

Zelda laughed, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Yes, yes, you get back to your little demon buddy. I'll see you tomorrow, just don't sleep in, Sleepyhead," she teased, waving goodbye as Link opened the door, one foot out in the hallway already.

"I'll try!"

With that, Link took his leave, hurrying to his room as soon as the door shut behind him. He most definitely took a lot longer than he said. Probably around half an hour if not forty-five minutes. He hoped Ghirahim wouldn't be too upset with him. Hylia help him if he was...

Fortunately, when Link burst through his door, hunched over and panting for breath, Ghirahim only looked slightly miffed. But Link could assume that it was just because he had interrupted his reading. Two books sat beside the demon on the bed while another thicker volume was held open in front of him. His mantle was nowhere to be seen.

"You took your sweet time," Ghirahim said, turning the page of his book before closing it and setting it in front of the others.

"Yeah, sorry," Link slumped down to the floor, heartbeat calming down. "I lost track of time."

Ghirahim flipped his wrist, shooing off the blonde's words. Link remembered doing the same gesture in his talk with Zelda and gave a soft "huh". Seems Ghirahim was rubbing off on him more than he thought already.

The sword spirit took no notice to Link's revelation and asked, "So how did your little talk with the Spirit Maiden go?" Ghirahim anticipated the bad news he was sure was coming.

"It went great!" came the excited reply. At mention of his conversation with Zelda, the Skychild seemed to perk up, brimming with sudden energy.

Ghirahim's white-painted lips parted and he took a second before words would leave his throat. They came out in a stutter that he promptly blushed at. "R-really? How so?" Did this mean that he could... _stay_? Stay on Skyloft? Stay with _Link_? He pushed down his rising hopes. It wasn't definite yet, no point getting excited over anything now. He turned his head to the side, the side of his face towards Link being completely covered by his hair.

"Yeah!" Link said, taking a seat at his desk. He could only see the back of Ghirahim's head now, but he didn't mind. "I convinced Zelda to give you a chance. We're going to be hanging out with her tomorrow. Isn't that great?"

The demon's head whipped back towards him, blue earring swinging and tapping him on the neck.

" _What?_ And you _agreed?!_ This might just be some...some _hoax_ so that she can send her armies after me a-and _kill me_!" He had gone through so much betrayal in his life, not again, he wouldn't—couldn't—take another one, especially one about something that meant so much to him. He felt like he could make a home here, like he was already doing so. Link made him feel safe despite everything they'd been through and he didn't want to leave. He just started realizing how much he hated serving Demise, only now that he had something _better._ And he might've been selfish, but Goddesses be damned, he didn't care. He didn't want to have to give this all up. "S-she will get me and—" Link clamped his hand over the other's mouth, effectively silencing him. Ghirahim had not noticed him getting closer, getting too dazed in all the messed up worst-case scenarios he thought up.

When Link looked into his eyes, he saw a tidal wave of emotion, one standing out prominently. Fear.

The blonde removed his hand once he was certain the demon wasn't going to continue on that trail of thoughts. He wiped the small amount of lipstick that got on his palm off on his pants before sitting on the bed next to Ghirahim. He took one of the other's pale hands, stroking his knuckles as he spoke, trying to calm the demon's nerves, "Zelda isn't going to hurt you. Do you see any armies here? We do have the knights, but there's certainly not enough of them to be considered an army. And they won't be able to lay a hand on you even if they tried. You're stronger than them, and take my word for it, I know first-hand how strong you are," Link chuckled. "And if you can't do anything, I certainly will. Okay? You're safe here."

Ghirahim gave a quiet hum in agreement before hiding his face in Link's shoulder. He sighed at the gentle circles being rubbed into his back.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled. "I was being foolish."

"Don't be. It's only sensible that you'd worry."

"I'm still sorry."

They sat like that for a while, Ghirahim never moving his head away from Link's shoulder and Link never stopping his soothing circles. They needed no more words and just gave each other their company.

Eventually the silence broke with a seemingly deafening cry for food from Link's stomach. He pulled back sheepishly and said, "We should probably go get some food before Henya deems it too late and kicks us out."

Ghirahim had gotten himself composed, assuming that this 'Henya' was the cook. He gave a nod, snarkiness marking their return to normalcy as he said, standing up, "Indeed, we probably should before you start complaining. But if you smudged my lipstick, I will eat your portion, understand?" He wasn't bluffing.

"Yep, yep, I understand, it's not smudged, please don't take my food." Link's agreement came out in a rush. He was thankful he didn't have a mirror in his room for Ghirahim to check his makeup for himself in. He was certain that if he did, he would be going hungry. No doubt in his mind. It wasn't smudged to _him_ but he knew that with the lipstick he got on his hand earlier, it would certainly be flawed in the demon's eyes.

"Good," the sword replied smugly, donning his mantle with a flourish. "Now let's go eat."

The two made their way down to the dining hall. Link had an eager spring in his step as he smelled their dinner's aroma wafting down the hallway. Ghirahim let a small smile dance upon his face. It was nice seeing the blonde acting so happy, even if it was mostly due to the promise of food.

As they walked, that small smile still on his face, the sword spirit noticed that he felt rather...light. As if all his troubles just evaporated into the air. Ever since the whole fiasco with Groose and Zelda started the other day, he had felt heavy, weighed down by a multitude of negative emotions. Sure, the Skychild made that heaviness more tolerable, but he could never take it away completely. But now that he was welcome—at least for the time being—he felt positively giddy. Of course he still had little seeds of doubt and dread, but they were buried so far under his positive attitude like grass under snow. They would have to wait until his happiness melted before starting to grow. And he was determined to keep that happiness for as long as he could.

They stepped through the arched doorway into the dining hall, Link leading the way. They were just in time before serving stopped, sky dark outside the large windows. He gave a little wave at the cook—a stout, aging woman—with a call of, "Hi, Henya!" Seems Ghirahim's assumption had been correct.

Link grasped Ghirahim's wrist and guided him over to the cook. He was fully aware of the inquisitive looks he was getting from the older woman and felt the need to introduce his companion to her before she started getting the wrong impression.

"Who's your new friend here, Link?" she asked.

Ghirahim was quite curious as to how the boy would respond. He couldn't exactly say "oh, this is just my old enemy who tried to kill me and my friends, but don't worry, he's nice now." That would just be absurd.

Link had the same thought and he gnawed on his lip, trying to think of how to word it. Eventually he just decided on, "This is Ghirahim. I met him on the Surface a while ago and he's come to stay on Skyloft." It technically wasn't a lie.

Henya smiled at Ghirahim and gave him the warmest reception he had ever had. "It's nice to meet you, Ghirahim. I'm sure we'll get along just fine as long as you don't try to sneak extra food like this rascal." She pointed to Link, who gave an embarrassed chuckle.

At first the demon was taken aback. Why wasn't this woman scared of him? Why didn't she hate him? But then he remembered that she probably had no clue who he was and what he had done. It was refreshing.

He returned the smile, sweeping into a dramatic bow, tips of his mantle brushing the floor. Peering up through dark lashes he purred, "An honor to meet you, fair lady~." It was a generous compliment, for Ghirahim frankly did not find Henya beautiful in the least, but she was making his food from now on, so he'd better be kind. And...if he felt a tad bit cared for in her presence, that would certainly be a driving factor in his courteousness.

Henya blushed and held her cheek, smiling from ear to ear. "Oh dear, what a gentleman~!"

Righting himself, Ghirahim saw Link sigh, holding the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger and his actions. But the tips of his lips were turned up in a smile.

Link's stomach growled again and Henya snapped out of her daze, hurrying about the kitchen before finding two bowls of beef stew. The two took the offered food gratefully, mouths watering at the scent. She shooed them off before walking over to her furnace, saying over her shoulder, "Go sit down, boys. Eat! I need to start tomorrow's breakfast."

As soon as they were given the green light, they speed walked to one of the large, circular tables in the front of the room, trying not to spill their stew which was filled quite generously. They had barely sat on the stools before they were digging in, both letting out pleased hums as the flavors hit their tongues.

Ghirahim hadn't had such a well-made meal in far too long, previous days' breakfasts excluded. But even though he had had two prior experiences of Henya's morning meals, there was just something about having a hot, meaty stew for dinner. It settled heavy in his stomach once the bowl was finished and Ghirahim simultaneously wanted both another helping and to pass out for the night. Link was spoiling him.

Without being asked, Link got up and took their bowls and spoons to the sink. He offered to wash them for Henya, but she refused him, kneading and folding a smooth dough on the counter.

A lick to his lips found remnants of sauce as well as a glance to Ghirahim found the same. Grabbing two cloth napkins from a stand on a shelf, Link headed back towards the table.

Ghirahim looked at him curiously as he dropped one of the napkins in front of him.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"You've got sauce on your face." Link pointed at the corner of his own mouth, watching amused as the demon flushed and looked away, snatching up the offered cloth and wiping the area. The hero followed suit and, much less gracefully, rubbed his whole face with the napkin. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten food on his forehead.

"Not a word," Ghirahim muttered, giving the blonde a glare. The red still on his cheeks didn't help him feel threatening and Link just smiled.

Disposing of the napkins in a small, hidden basket for wash, the two said their farewells to Henya and headed back to Link's room, stomachs full and happy.

Ghirahim snapped the books off of the bed and back onto the bookshelf before Link could fall on them as he flopped on the piece of furniture. The mattress sprang up a bit, bouncing him a few times before he settled. The demon raised his brow in question, standing beside the bed for a few moments, waiting for an explanation to the strange action. He sighed when he received none, crawling next to Link, lights turning off with a snap. His cape vanished in an array of diamonds as he slipped under the covers, arms wrapping themselves around Link's chest without thought. The blonde squirmed under the blankets as well and he fell asleep in mere moments, an arm of his own draped over the sword spirit's waist.

Ghirahim could not sleep as easily, however.

With this new silence his mind started twisting down all the paths the next day could take. It could end in bloodshed, in death even, possibly a bounty hunt if Ghirahim decided to flee.

_Or,_ a little piece of his brain whispered, _it could end in peace._

He wanted to believe that, truly, he did. But his record for conflicts resolving in peace was almost nonexistent. The only one on that record was the optimistic little Skychild next to him. He did not believe Zelda would just forgive and forget so easily.

For the first time in his life, Ghirahim cursed Demise. He cursed him with his whole being. Cursed him for making him, cursed him for all the things he was made to do, cursed him for how _messed up_ he was. If Demise hadn't done what he had, Ghirahim wouldn't have done his own sinful misdeeds. He might have a chance of being welcomed by Link's friends.

But more than anything else, he cursed himself. At any point in his years of servitude, he could've just refused, could have fled, could have even killed Demise himself if he got the timing right! But no. Ghirahim did none of that. Instead he let himself be used and tossed aside, as if he was a toy and Demise had gotten bored of him after tearing his limbs off.

Worst thing was, Ghirahim had maimed, killed, manipulated, and seduced his way through countless orders from Demise and even so, despite everything, Link wanted to become his master. Link, who had seen all of the demon's cruelty first-hand. Link, who had his own friends upset with him over taking Ghirahim to their home. Link, who didn't care and wanted him to stay anyway. Why? Was it some sort of childish naivety? Or just pure optimism? Link did tell him that he felt that he had changed, but Ghirahim honestly didn't think the same. Sure, he didn't want to kill the blonde, that was certainly something, but enough to warrant him "changed"? He didn't see it.

But...maybe that was the point. Maybe only Link could see how he was changing. Only him because he was actively looking out for them. Perhaps Ghirahim should try to do the same, try and see what the blonde saw in him.

But would anyone else ever notice..?

He tightened his arms around Link and rested his head on the other's chest, letting his steady heartbeat calm him down and kill the silence. Too-awake eyes stared into the darkness.

—

The next morning's sun warmed Link and Ghirahim as they made their way to the plaza like Zelda said. Link had dropped by her room once more before they left to ask for a meeting place. Preferably, he would've liked to have her walk with them to wherever they were going for today, but decided against it in the end. Zelda wasn't even out of her nightclothes when he went by, and Ghirahim's anxiety over it all was apparent. He might've thought that he was hiding it, and sure, Link didn't think many other's would notice it, but the confidence he was well acquainted with was but a thin veil covering up Ghirahim's nervousness.

The demon wrung his hands together beneath the front tail of his mantle, occasionally rubbing the cloth of his gold sash between his fingers. All manner of small talk Link tried to begin fell flat before they could even take off, only receiving the bare minimum of a response from Ghirahim. His dark eyes were distant and never once looked in the blonde's direction since they left. The rest of his expression was entirely expressionless; a perfect poker face.

Their short walk to the plaza was over with no improvements and when they sat on the bench overlooking the large open space, Link reached over and grasped one of Ghirahim's fidgeting hands in his.

"I'm fine..." the demon mumbled, eyes finally glancing at him.

Link caressed his hand with his thumb, ignoring his companion's unconvincing statement, instead saying, "It'll be fine."

They sat for a few more minutes, the soothing circles rubbed into his hand making Ghirahim just a tad bit calmer. His heartbeat was just starting to get under control before it started bounding again at the sight of the Spirit Maiden out of the corner of his eye. A subconscious frown tugged at his lips.

Link had his head tipped back to look at the outlines of Loftwings in the sky when he felt Ghirahim tense. Turning his head to the right, the form of Zelda was clearly visible as she walked towards them.

Within moments, the two were on their feet, Ghirahim positioned behind Link as the boy went to great her.

She gave them both smiles, the one she gave Ghirahim considerably shakier, but he couldn't complain. No angry mobs or disgusted sneers so far.

"So where are we going today?" Link asked, trying to get conversation rolling.

"I expected you to already know, considering you were the one who invited me," Zelda said.

"O-oh," Link's eyes darted around them in search of somewhere they could go. "Uhhh..."

"You have no clue, do you?" Zelda propped her hands on her hips, head tilting with lips pursed.

"Nope!" The hero chuckled, rubbing at his neck.

Ghirahim sighed, uttering his first word since Zelda had arrived. "Moron..."

"How about we just go over there and talk?" She pointed over to the riverbed by the bridge that crossed the water.

"Good with me," Link said. "How 'bout you, Ghirahim?"

The demon's nose bunched up when he spied the sand bordering the river. Sand always found a way into his clothes and the giant diamond shaped holes in them didn't help one bit.

"Sand is one of nature's biggest mistakes," he muttered.

A sharp jab in his side made him hiss, glaring down at Link who smiled at Zelda innocently. Ghirahim got the message and sighed. There were always worse things than sand. One of which being the consequences if he didn't behave with Zelda watching him.

"Fine," he said, "It's due time I have a bath anyway."

They started walking towards the river, Ghirahim noticing the little glances Zelda sent him when she thought he wasn't looking. She was trying, but her suspicion was obvious. He couldn't blame her, though. He held his own fair share of suspicion for her as well. He crossed his arms under his mantle, picking at the skin. Even if he understood, that didn't make the weight of her gaze any more welcoming.

Her eyes snapped away from him when Link took it upon himself to break the silence once more. "What're you reading now, Zel?" The three hopped down the small ledge before the shoreline before settling on the ground. Link and Zelda sitting on the sand, closer to the water while Ghirahim sat on the small section of grass before it.

Her eyes lit up, a small smile crossing her face as she explained. "It's about the different types of magic that have been discovered! There's all sorts of fascinating theories about how there's only a limited amount of unique magic types, one of the biggest being control over time itself. Think about it! The ability to bend time with your will alone..."

Link had to admit, that sounded pretty awesome. But there were probably too many rules and details to keep up with that would completely ruin the fun.

His lips parted as Ghirahim joined the discussion, speaking directly to Zelda for the first time in...who knew how long. His look of surprise slowly melted into a grin.

"That's quite a common misconception," Ghirahim began. "Any being that has the gift of magic has their own unique abilities. There might be some that are the same for the majority, but for the most part, it is all different. The ability to wield time is a big one, however mysterious, so I'll give you that one."

"What's yours?" Link asked.

"Must you really have to ask that, Skychild?"

Link nodded.

"It would be the teleportation of both myself and objects. Of which you should have figured out long ago."

"Ohhhhhh..!" Link blushed. "I feel dumb now."

"Don't worry," Zelda said, "it's endearing."

The hero dunked his fingertips in the water before flicking them at her, a playful pout on his face.

Zelda turned back to Ghirahim after wiping off some of the water that got on her face, a thirst for knowledge deep in her gut.

Link was glad that they were getting along now after the initial awkwardness. He hoped that this would last. As the two discussed the specifics of magic, he zoned out, understanding nothing anyway and just paying attention to their faces. Zelda no longer seemed to care about who she was talking to and the poker face Ghirahim had adapted was slowly turning more natural.

The tension was oozing out of the demon, hands gradually stilling their fidgeting as he got to educate the Spirit Maiden on a well-versed topic of his. It was finally sinking in that Zelda did not have any traps laid or hostile words to spit at him. She merely wished to understand what Link saw in him. Or so he hoped. This could all be an elaborate ploy to get him vulnerable before she stabbed him in the heart. And yet...even with that in the back of his mind, his chest was light and the words between them felt warm.

To Link, it was very obvious how this all was going to play out. He knew from past experiences that when Zelda found someone who had knowledge to give her, she held on tight. Ghirahim got to flaunt his expertise and anyone with a pair of eyes could see that he liked to stroke his ego. It was more or less official that Ghirahim was staying.

Link cut them off before they could get too lost in the details of elemental magic. "So, Ghira, are you gonna keep me?" That conversation was as fresh in his mind as the breakfast he ate that morning.

The conversation jolted to a stop as both Ghirahim and Zelda turned towards him. Zelda wore a confused expression, brows bunched together and head tilted slightly.

Ghirahim sighed, the barest hints of a blush on his cheeks. "It isn't even nearly close to the end of the test yet. Have some patience."

"Wait, what?" Zelda asked, looking between the two.

Link ignored her, in turn continuing his conversation with the sword spirit. "Awww! But that's so long away! You're still going to accept, though, right?"

"Technically, I've already accepted. I just have the option of withdrawing." Ghirahim smirked.

"You know what I meant."

"I don't!" Zelda exclaimed. "What in the Goddess's name are you two talking about?"

Link stammered.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Ghirahim was surprised. He was under the assumption that the Skychild told Zelda everything. That didn't stop him from his amusement, however. "What a little rascal~."

"Tell me what? Just say it already! Either of you!" Her gaze first fell on Ghirahim, but as he leaned back against the ledge behind him, mouth shut and arms crossed, she knew that he wasn't going to say anything. She turned her sharp blue eyes to meet Link's. "Well?"

The hero chuckled flatly and his eyes turned away from hers. "Don't take this the wrong way, but uhh...I kinda offered to be Ghirahim's master when I brought him here, sorta like Fi."

"And you accepted? Why?" Zelda asked Ghirahim. She wanted to make sure he wasn't just taking advantage of Link's kindness. She would never forgive herself if she allowed something in that hurt him in the end.

"It's a month long test run. Nothing is set in stone yet," Ghirahim clarified. "And because...it's nice here. Peaceful. I like it." He didn't mention Link's own participation in his positive outlook.

"Sooo...I'm pretty much gonna be your master~." Link teased as he ran his fingers through the river, a grin stretching from ear to ear.

"No!" Ghirahim said, a bit too forceful than what he intended. He cleared his throat. His face felt like it was on fire. "I mean, you need to wait."

"Are you suuuuuure you don't want to accept early?"

"Yes, quite sure." Under his breath, he added, "It's not like I'm refusing or anything it's just—" He cut himself off before he could say anything he'd regret.

The two blondes burst into laughter at the demon's flustering.

"Shut up..." he muttered.

"Either way," Zelda's face and tone turned serious, "if you hurt him, I swear on my life that you will not have yours."

So this was where her standings lie. Despite the threat to his life, Ghirahim found it comforting that he knew the side she was on. A surprising display of honesty. She was warning him and he would take that warning to heart.

"Duly noted, although it is quite redundant as it's already happened previously."

Zelda shot him a glare.

"Relax. I won't harm him _now_ which is all that matters."

"He's right," Link chimed in. "No use getting upset over things we can't change. Just gotta make sure that what we do now is better."

"Wise words, Skychild," Ghirahim chuckled.

Link preformed a small, awkward-looking bow as he was still seated. "Why, thank you."

Zelda gave a fond sigh. "Okay, okay. But you're still not off the hook yet. I'm conducting a test run of my own."

"You're not going to grade him, are you?" Link asked, brow raised.

"Pshhhh..! Noooo...of course not..!" Her flimsy lie did not escape either sword or hero.

"Well, you better give Groose an F. And make him go to honesty classes." Despite the silliness of his words, Link's expression was full of determination. He couldn't blame Groose for trying to help—albeit badly—but he could certainly blame him for lying to Zelda to get Ghirahim kicked off without knowing the full story. It could've gone so much worse because of it.

"Don't worry, Groose will get what he deserves later, I'll make sure of it." Zelda replied.

"I'm guessing that his punishment will not contain violence of any kind," Ghirahim said.

"No. Don't even think about it."

"What a shame..." The demon sighed dejectedly.

There was a comfortable silence that fell over them for a few moments. Ghirahim inspecting his nails, Link playing with the water, and Zelda watching the Loftwings flying above them before she broke the silence.

"I'm getting hungry. Why don't we go fly down to the Lumpy Pumpkin and get lunch?"

Link was quick to agree, always up for food. Ghirahim was a bit more hesitant, however.

"I'm...invited?" He asked as the two blondes stood up and looked at him expectantly.

"Of course!" Link said. "Why wouldn't you be?"

He had no answer for that, but Zelda made sure that there was no awkward silence. "Take this as one of my experiments for your test run. Let's see how you deal with the owner. He's a scary man, I wouldn't blame you if you feel intimidated." She was clearly egging him on and it worked, stroking his competitiveness into a roaring flame.

"Oh, you're on. I bet he's as frightening as a mouse." He got to his feet.

"Let's just go eat alreadyyyy..!" Link whined and scurried off to the nearest diving platform, Zelda at his heels.

Ghirahim took a little longer, smile on his face as watched the two tease each other at the edge of the platform. His blood felt like it was vibrating in his veins and he couldn't wait to see what other things they had in store for him. This whole thing had gone so much better than he had expected and he was excited to finally be included in something. Demise had never given him this, never given him people he could trust with his life and secrets and worries. But Link was doing exactly that. So many new experiences, new people, new places, it was almost overwhelming.

But he wasn't complaining.

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo....yeah! Can't say I'm proud of this and it's like...really super late. I planned on posting this at least a month or two ago, but life got in the way. But the sequel is finally out! Enjoy! My posting will probly be even slower now since school's started back up again, but I'll still try and churn out some more content in the meantime. Have a fantabulous day/night!


End file.
